PRIEST OF EVIL
Finland, 2012, 106 minutes, Colour.
Peter Franzen, Irina Bjorklund.
Directed by Olli Saarela.
A film from Finland. This is a story about an obsessed policeman, faithful to his duty, but losing his daughter when he was late in picking her up. This has a huge affect on his psyche and on his work. It also destroys his marriage.
In the meantime, there is serial killer in the city and the detective is torn between his commitment to his work and to vengeance. The killer is revealed and has a harsh family background, especially from his father, a preacher. The film builds up, somewhat violently, towards confrontation between policeman and murderer.
1. Films from Finland? Police dramas? Helsinki settings?
2. A dark film, in tone, in colour, in shadows? Crime in Helsinki? Rape and murder? Subway murders? The characters, the grim policeman, his wife and her collapse, the killer and the flashbacks to his brutal father?
3. Locations, the city, the streets, holmes, police precincts, the home of the killer? An atmosphere of violence and brutality?
4. The character of Timo: husband and father, his involvement in his work, companions at work, detection? Missing his daughter, her rape and death, the grief and anger of his wife? Paulina? Two years passing, psychiatric care, tensions of home, his love for his second daughter? The communion sequence, the photo, his deciding to leave, possible divorce? His continuing to work, the subway murders, his walking the subway, seeing the graffiti about salvation, the fight with the hooded man, his being injured? Onerva and her support of Timo, attraction towards him, his relying on her? The bearded co-worker? The further murders, the interview with the Muslim wife, trying to understand motivation? The young men, being beaten, the photo description, information coming in?
5. Elisa, love for her daughter, her grief, alienation from Timo, protecting Pauline are, the communion ceremony, Timo and his leaving? Her religious beliefs, Paulina’s taunts? The young man borrowing the book on theodicy, meeting her in the café, the invitation to the seminar, his taking her, the themes of good and evil? His abducting her, the explanations, the photos, the flashbacks to his past, the rape, preparing her for burning, the rescue? A reconciliation with Timo?
6. Timo and his working with his associate, the other members of the team and, his return, his reliance on Onerva? Her support?
7. Paulina, her age, the death of her sister, her relationship with each parent, critical of her mother yet bonding with her, loving her father? The religious dimension, the communion ceremony? Giving her father information about Johannes?
8. Her boyfriend, his father, the tattoos, naked, brutal to his mother, brutal to the boy? His being threatened by Johannes?
9. Johannes, his age, experience, character, hooded, killing people on the subway? Taking photos, especially of Timo and his family at the communion service? His religious attitudes? Seeking the book on theodicy? inviting and Lisa to the seminar? Ingratiating himself at the bookshop, at the restaurant? Attending the seminar? His taking her home, the sympathetic talk, his change of attitude, the photos, discussing her husband, blaming him, blaming her for causing the trouble? The brutality of the rape? The aftermath? His guiding her? Preparing the fire, putting her on the tray?
10. The information, hurrying to Johannes’ house, the rescue in time?
11. Johannes and his flashbacks? His cruel father, minister of religion, brutal? Persecuting his son? Chasing him onto the railway lines? The phobia about railways? His father’s death on the track? The model for his killings? His being captured a rather than killed?
12. A Finnish variation on serial killer and police detection?
